The Basics of Writing an Employee Warning Letter

A warning letter can be one of the letters an employee does not want or wish to receive. There are different types of employee warning letters that are issued by the manager to the erring employee:

Late Warning Letter – Depending on the company policy, this type of warning letter is usually given to the employee when he or she has been late for consecutive days.

Attendance Warning Letter – This warning letter is given when the employee has chronic attendance issues, whether tardiness or absenteeism.

Performance Warning Letter – This letter is often issued when the performance of an employee has caused a negative effect on its productivity.

First Warning Letter – It is usually issued when the employee breaks the rules and regulations set by the company. It serves as a signal the employee to discontinue engaging in actions that are against the policy of the company.

Final Warning Letter – It is usually given to an erring employee who continues to ignore or neglect the rules and regulations of the company. The letter often contains the disciplinary actions or punishment.

Warning Letter Basics

A warning letter is a type of formal letter that is used by the immediate head to reprimand the employee about his poor attendance or behavior. If the employee continues to his erring ways, then the next letter he or she will receive is an employment termination letter. However, before you issue a warning letter to the employee, it is important to give the employee a chance to respond to the allegations against him/her.

What to Include in a Warning Letter

A warning letter can be an important tool in the workplace because it can help the employees have a better understanding of what the company is expecting from them. This is especially helpful if the employee continues to ignore the rules and regulations, which can ultimately lead to the employee being terminated from his job. So if you are tasked to write a warning letter, you will need to determine the things to include in the letter.

Make sure to identify and make an outline of the issues that are the subject of the warning letter.

List down the policies or rules and regulations that were violated.

Make sure to include the information that was written in the previous warning letter, if any.

Take note of the employee’s response to the allegations against him.

Provide a disciplinary action for the employee to address the conduct in question.

Explain clearly to the employee his need for improvement and the potential consequences that he may face if he fails to make an improvement.

Make sure to provide support materials such as training to help him improve his performance.

Process of Writing a Warning Letter

If you have an employee who continues to ignore and follow the company policy, then it is time to issue him or her a warning letter. However, there is a proper protocol to observe to make the whole process legitimate.

Make sure to hold a one-on-one meeting with the said employee. This will help inform the employee that the company or management is not tolerating any actions or activities that are against the rules and regulations. This will serve as a verbal warning.

A first written warning letter is issued by the immediate head to the employee if there are no improvements made to address or resolve the issue. The employee is given a time period to improve his or her performance or discontinue actions that are against the company’s policy. A disciplinary action form is also issued to the employee.

Still, if there are no efforts made to improve, a final written warning is issued to the erring employee. The letter often includes the consequences for not complying with the corrective actions. The final letter can be the determining point whether the company should let go of the employee’s services and terminate his or her employment contract.